Bait
by Lady Starhawk
Summary: John's POV in the flashback of Something Wicked.  How I think events transpired before John's timely intervention.


Title: Bait

Author: Lady Starhawk

Beta: None

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Spoilers: Something Wicked

Authors Notes: John's POV in the flashback. How I think events transpired before John's timely intervention.

I sat in the corner of the parking lot waiting for what I knew would eventually come. My son would disobey my order and leave the motel room.

I know he loves his brother, and would try his best to follow my orders, but eventually he would have to escape. He's never been good at sitting in one place for too long. Maybe it's because of the way I was raising them. Staying in one place just long enough to finish a hunt and then moving on. Or maybe it was just Dean.

Keep moving. That's the best way to stay safe when something is chasing you. I had a feeling that the thing that took Mary, the thing that was after Sam, was still on our tail. Staying in one place was the best way to get them killed. It ranked right up there with ignoring the threats and not training my sons to defend themselves.

I know Mary wouldn't be happy with how I was raising our sons, but I needed to keep them safe. Keep them alive, and this is the best way I knew how.

I pulled out my journal and found the old picture tucked in the back. It was the four of us in front of the old house. Dean in my arms smiling without a care in the world baby Sammy in Mary's arms, Mary's gentle smile, and I even had a true smile on my face. Something I don't think I've even seen in so many years it makes my heart ache. I do this for that family, the one that was destroyed by that damn demon so many years ago.

There's activity in the motel room. The curtain is moving slightly. I grabbed the binoculars to take a closer look. Dean's re-doing the salt lines at the window, just like I taught him to. That meant he was either going to be leaving soon, or bunking down.

I looked at the clock, 8pm. Probably not going to sleep. He would have put Sammy to bed a little while ago, and sat with the kid until he was asleep. I saw the big lights turn off in the room, but there was still a flicker from the TV, and the lamp by the window was on, making it look like someone was there.

Dean left the room, and locked it behind himself just like I knew he would. Dean was a good little soldier, but leave him locked away in a room for three days straight and he would eventually have to escape. I hated what I was doing to them tonight, but it was the only way to capture the shtriga. Unless it was in the process of feeding it couldn't be killed.

I knew it would be coming for Sammy tonight. I had tracked its movements, and it was logical that this area would be its next stopping point. I was going to have to time this very carefully if I was going to save Sammy, and kill the creature.

I have wracked my brain for weeks, watching as other children were getting attacked, getting sick. I can't come up with a solution that will draw it in, and allow for me to kill it. If there was another way, I would have done it. I only hope Dean can forgive me one day.

I made sure I had my weapons out and ready, and slipped from the car. The shtriga would slip in through the window in the bedroom around the back of the building, so I needed to place myself there to watch it happen.

It was getting late. The motel office would be closing soon. I checked on Dean a few minutes ago, and he was still playing one of the video game machines in the lobby. Poor kid has no idea I am using his brother as bait. This is definitely the stupidest thing I have ever done, but I just don't see another way.

It's 10 p.m. and I know Dean will be coming back to the room soon. I think I see something moving in the shadows behind the building. Dean will be fine, but I need to time this just right to save Sammy and still kill the thing.

I see it move across the open ground and over to the window. My heart leaps into my chest. I can't screw this up. I know it's about to feed on Sammy, I WANT it to feed on my baby.

It opens the window and climbs in. I give it a ten count and move around the front of the building. I see the door close, Dean's in the room now. Hopefully the shtriga will already have started feeding by the time Dean shoots it.

I wait a few more seconds, Dean should have seen the shtriga and shot by now. He should have done it. I open the door and see Dean standing at the door to the bedroom with the rifle up, but he's not firing. The thing is leaning over Sammy, draining the life out of him, and my little soldier is just watching it happen.

"Dean Down!" I bark and hesitate for a second to see if he will obey that order. He does, and I advance on the doorway shooting the thing that's feeding on Mary's baby.

I don't kill it, but it does run away.

Sammy's not moving, I run to the bed and hold him in my arms. Please, Mary, let him be all right. Let him wake up. Sammy's eyes look up at me sleepily, and I know he's going to be ok. I snapped at Dean. I didn't mean to, but he was supposed to protect Sammy. I don't remember what I said, but I know it was the wrong thing. Please Mary, help me.

We packed up right away and left in the middle of the night. I wasn't going to wait for that thing to come back.

The next morning at breakfast I knew I should explain to Dean what I did, and apologize to him for snapping. But every time I started to say something Dean would look at me with such a blank expression I wasn't sure how to proceed. I may have saved Sammy that night, but I lost Dean.

I will never forgive myself for that. Every time I look at Dean now I see my failure. Not only to my boys, but also to Mary. I will never put them in danger like that again. There's always another way. I just have to learn to look harder next time.

Hope you liked it. It's just my theory as to why the boys were left alone while John was hunting something that attacks children, and how he made such a timely rescue. Also as to why John looked ad Dean differently. It wasn't Dean's actions at all, but John's.


End file.
